Court Backs Thumbnail Image Linking

from the fair-use-is-fair-use dept

An interesting ruling from a Federal Court today saying that it is perfectly legal for an image search engine to display thumbnails of images that someone else owns the copyright to. This makes sense. As for the question of whether or not they can also present full-size images, they have sent that issue back to the district court to review. They say that showing the thumbnail is fair use. The EFF is championing this decision as fair use permission to link to any copyrighted materials - which sounds like it might be stretching the ruling a bit further than intended. Either way, though, you have to wonder about anyone who puts material online and then doesn't want people to link to it. If you're going to be that protective... don't put it online.

Reader Comments

A court said what.....?

A court said that thumbnails are fair use? This expanse of the narrow exemption to copyrite 17 USC would hardly even limp along on an appeal.

(5:09-cv-05151) will not go away until the Open Internet of Porn or inappropriate art for minors is gone. Enjoy the "Open Internet of Porn" while confused judges try to protect display of nudes by GOOG>

"Do no evil?" Yeah - right.... more like "obey no law".

Sure it would be great if GOOG could re-publish anything they found online or in libraries. Everyone could just surf google.com instead of going anywhere else online or ever visiting libraries or bookstores? "Do no evil?" Yeah - right.... more like "obey no law".